Halloween is nearly upon us and I am reminded of this time last year when I went to the store and bought a few pumpkins by myself. I took them home and carved them by myself. I lit candles and watched them in the dark by myself. It was at that time when I knew how I would die–in some kind of freak holiday festivities preparation…alone. I suppose it’s not too late to go out and wrangle a few pumpkins from Albertsons.
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for some reason this reminds me of my favorite rilke poem, but I’ll spare you.
Is it handy to post?
I thought you’d never ask:
I know it by heart, or at least, I know the Stephen Mitchell translation of the german:
Autumn day
Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.
Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into the heavy wine.
Whoever has no house now, will never have one.
Whoever is alone will stay alone,
will sit, read, write long letters through the evening,
and wander along the boulevards, up and down,
restlessly, while the dry leaves are blowing.
You had this memorized?! You are such a renaissance man. This is lovely. I can only hope that my life is as rich as a poem.
I have two Rilke poems, three Gerard Manley Hopkins poems and one Shakespearean sonnet in my immediate recall area — should I ever have the need to annoy people around me, I just start reciting them.
Seriously, I like saying these poems by myself, to the wind.
d.
Remember when I fell down the stairs just before Halloween? That wasn’t the first time I feared dying in a freak accident while at home alone.
Oh, I remember. You also might have died from an unattended infection brought on by a cat scratch had you not married.
Atticus said he set that up so he could meet his competition. He has since apologized.